Samuel Wharton was an American merchant, politician and land speculator.
Background
Samuel Wharton was born in Philadelphia, the grandson of Thomas Wharton, a Quaker who emigrated to Philadelphia from Westmorland, England, before 1689, and the son of Hannah (Carpenter) and Joseph Wharton, a prosperous merchant. He was a half-brother of Robert Wharton.
Career
He became a prominent merchant and was associated with John Baynton in the Philadelphia firm of Baynton & Wharton and after 1763 also with George Morgan as Baynton, Wharton & Morgan. This concern was engaged in the trade of the newly opened country across the Alleghanies, especially with the Indians. About 1764 the firm launched an ambitious project for exploiting the trade of the Illinois country, later known as the "Grand Illinois Venture"; but a series of reverses obliged the company to go into a voluntary receivership and withdraw completely from the Illinois venture in 1772. In the meantime, Wharton was becoming deeply interested in land speculation. For several years he seems to have devoted his principal energies to obtaining a large land grant from the Indians by way of restitution for the firm's heavy losses during Pontiac's uprising of 1763. In 1768, at Fort Stanwix, the Six Nations ceded to the "suffering traders" a large tract of land now in West Virginia, which came to be known as the "Indiana grant. " Deeming it desirable to have this grant validated by the Crown in 1769, the associates in the project sent Wharton and William Trent to England. It is doubtful whether Wharton and Trent ever attempted to obtain the King's sanction for the original Indiana grant. Wharton soon established valuable contacts with prominent English politicians and men of affairs, and with them organized a group styled the Grand Ohio Company, though it was usually referred to as the Walpole Company, from Thomas Walpole, a prominent member. In January 1770 the group petitioned for a grant of some 20, 000, 000 acres lying between the Alleghanies and the upper Ohio. A scheme had been devised for a new colony, to be called "Vandalia, " and a tentative frame of government had even been decided upon. It was rumored in Philadelphia that Wharton was to be the first governor. For years he devoted his very considerable abilities to these plans. He brought influence to bear upon British officialdom, corresponded with his associates in America, and wrote a series of pamphlets in support of the petition of the Walpole group. Official procrastination and obstruction, however, climaxed by the outbreak of hostilities in America in 1775, caused the complete collapse of the enterprise. Wharton remained in England and in 1779 joined Franklin in France, where the two discussed the possibility of obtaining recognition of the Vandalia claim by Congress. In 1779 or 1780 Wharton returned to America. He died at his country home near Philadelphia. His will was probated on March 26, 1800.
Achievements
Connections
He married, before 1755, Sarah Lewis. They had six children.